---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Anivar Aravind <[email protected]> Date: Wed, Jul 28, 2010 at 9:21 AM Subject: [OrissaConcerns] Land Grab For POSCO Project Begins
Land Grab For POSCO Project Begins http://orissaconcerns.net/2010/07/land-grab-for-posco-project-begins/ Today the Orissa government initiated "acquisition" of land in the proposed POSCO project area of Jagatsinghpur District, Orissa. The project is in complete violation of the law and this "acquisition" is part of an illegal land grab. We reiterate the following: 1. 3000 of 4000 acres in the POSCO area are forest land. 2. The people of the three affected gram panchayats have rights over this forest land under the Forest Rights Act of 2006. They are eligible; they have written proof of their presence in the area for a century. 3. As per the requirements of the Act the forest land cannot be taken for any other purpose without 1) fully recording and recognising all individual and community rights; 2) the communities ofthe area granting their consent in the form of a resolution. 4. Out of the four palli sabhas (gram sabhas) of the area, three have rejected consent. 5. No implementation of the Act has been done. 6. The forest clearance granted for the project is therefore illegal. Moreover the Orissa government was also sent a "clarification" by the Environment Ministry that stated that the "project cannot go ahead" unless the legal requirements of the Forest Rights Act are met. As such the attempt to remove people is in direct violation of the law. The illegal collusion of the Orissa government and the Environment Ministry with POSCO has already been exposed. Please see here for a full set of documents proving these facts and for more details: http://www.forestrightsact.com/corporate-projects/item/12-the-posco-project The ongoing take over of the land is evidence of the utter contempt in which both governments and corporates hold the law, and of how the government always uses force not to defend the "rule of law" but to defend the rule of money and resource grabbers. Campaign for Survival and Dignity 9873657844, www.forestrightsact.com -- -- Adv Kamayani Bali Mahabal +919820749204 skype-lawyercumactivist "After a war, the silencing of arms is not enough. Peace means respecting all rights. You can’t respect one of them and violate the others. When a society doesn’t respect the rights of its citizens, it undermines peace and leads it back to war.” -- Maria Julia Hernandez www.otherindia.org www.binayaksen.net www.phm-india.org www.phmovement.org www.ifhhro.org -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "humanrights movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/humanrights-movement?hl=en.
